partner EXPERIENCES 

THE POWER AND JOY OF WORDS & MUSIC

FEB. 19 // Doors: 6:30 PM // 7:00 - 9:00 PM 
Belfry Theatre // 1291 Gladstone Avenue, Victoria

  • Ticketed

  • Suggested Donation: $10.00 / person

  • 19+

Celebrate the power and joy of words and music with BC Black History Awareness Society. The event opens with a performance from Addena Sumter-Freitag Addena who is an actor as well as a published and award-winning author. Addena’s stories and poems will challenge you, confront you, caress, and console you. The main performance of the evening is from award-winning Maureen Washington, a Canadian and International legend who will deliver a thrilling, energetic, and soulful performance of jazz, blues, and ballads with her band. 

More info: bcblackhistory.ca/events

Tea Service with Guest Stars at Jagasilk Teabar

FEB. 16 - 19 // 5:00 - 9:00 PM
Jagasilk Tea // 633 Courtney Street, Victoria

  • All-Ages

JagaSilk Teabar will be joining the Winter Arts Fest, serving freshly milled maccha, precisely brewed kombucha and kung fu tea. Each night will have a different theme like "ceremony", "ancient tea", "kintsugi" and "tencha tastings".


They will be joined by special guest stars from amongst their tea industry allies like Erick Smithe of Cloudwalker Teas (pu-erh specialist), Ayako Ikeda  (Japanese Tea Ceremony instructor with the local Urasenke Tankokai) and Michael Lee (tea ceramics repair specialist from @puerhtothepeople).

More info: jagasilk.com

Below & Beyond: A Celebration of Amazing Ocean Life

FEB. 16 // 5:00 - 8:00 PM
Gage Gallery // 19 Bastion Square, Victoria

  • FREE

  • All-Ages

Join artists Margaret Case and Carla Unger as they showcase and celebrate undersea life and imagery through watercolours, acrylic paintings and digital art. Donations and partial proceeds to the Pender Islands Conservancy, an organization that helps protect our natural environment and help us to understand the importance of ecology, habitat, and environmental issues.

More info: gagegallery.ca/next-exhibition

MOVE37XR: The Dreaming

FEB. 16 - 19 // 5:00 - 9:00 PM
Haus of Owl // 780 Blanshard St 4th Floor, Victoria

  • FREE

  • All-Ages

Embark on a sensory journey with MOVE37XR and Haus of Owl (HOO) where art, technology, ecology, consciousness and human connections blend in a celebration of creativity and collaboration.

Friday, February 16, 5-8 PM. Immerse yourself in Hyperobject 108, a live sound performance, interact with the digital ether in Bardo featuring Kinect and projection, experience Of Dreaming AI video work, and adventure in virtual realms like KraKIN VR and Kingdom of Illumination. Explore other works such as Star Stuff (VR), Polyphonic Garden Lounge, and Distant Distraction, Foul Breach, Separate Sensation (AR).

8 PM: Ruby Singh and Michael Datura perform in the Garden Room, showcasing their album KraKIN and launching the KraKIN Book and Sound Sample Pack. 

9 PM: In this “The Artist Mixer” guests will experience MOVE37XR installations and creator jams with artists and DJs. A special HOO FLIP Night features guest artist Ruby Singh, where pro and amateur beat makers create unique beats using drum machines or tablets from a prepared sample library.

Saturday - Monday February 17 - 19. Interactive programs will run from 5-9 PM on the 4th floor of 780 Blanshard Street., facilitated by dedicated HOO and WAF volunteers.

More info: https://www.hausofowl.com/waf

Tiny Flwrs Opening Reception

FEB. 17 // 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Habit Coffee // 552 Pandora Avenue, Victoria

  • FREE

  • All-Ages

Come join the good folks at Habit Coffee for an evening of flower power! Grab a coffee and enjoy a live performance followed by the reception for duo Tiny Flowers, showcasing the beauty of regenerative farming and floral design. An ode to the resiliency found in plants, in celebration of local flora. Tiny Flwrs presents a showcase of sustainable floriculture found of the Saanich Peninsula.

More info: habitcoffee.com

Al-Ihsan pop-up library

FEB. 17 - 19 // 5:00 - 9:00 PM
Al-Ihsan Library // 708 Douglas Street, Victoria

  • FREE

  • All-Ages

The Al-Ihsan Library and Literacy Project is the first Islamic cultural library on Vancouver Island. This library is a space for connection, learning, and understanding for both the Muslim and wider Greater Victoria community. With a wide variety of books for all ages, there is so much for everyone to enjoy! Join us at our pop-up location to browse titles, sign up for a library card, and stay for story time and reading selections.

More info: instagram.com/bintyounus

Art Soiree Meet & Mingle at Avenue One

FEB. 17 // 5:00 - 9:00 PM
Avenue One // 508 Herald Street, Victoria

  • FREE

  • All-Ages

Join us at Avenue One during the Winter Art Festival to witness the captivating expressions of Taryn Wells. Her art beckons you to explore the nuanced beauty within light, shadow, and form. Terry Marshall, a renowned bass/vocals artist and former member of the Victoria band, The Sutcliffes, will serenade the evening with his melodic tunes. Savour live music, and engage in conversation with Taryn herself!

More info: Avenue One on Instagram

Art Battle Victoria

FEB. 17 // 6:00 - 9:30 PM
Victoria Event Centre // 1415 Broad Street, Victoria

  • Ticketed: $22.05

  • All-Ages

Assemble your squad and get ready for a night of epic creativity!Watch as talented artists battle it out in three rounds of 20-minute masterpieces, all created with open materials. The pieces will be auctioned off and the crowd will crown the ultimate champion of the night. Art Battle Victoria is an All Ages event.

More info: Eventbrite

SHARON, Corduroy Aspect & Plastic City

FEB. 18 // Doors: 7:00 PM // Show: 7:30 PM
Victoria Event Centre // 1415 Broad Street, Victoria

  • Ticketed: $15

  • All-Ages

After a brief hibernation, SHARON, Corduroy Aspect and Plastic City have emerged from their fiery tombs. Their first destination of destruction is the quiet, unsuspecting town, Victoria, BC where they will make really loud music in front of crowds of the horrified civilians. So bring the family why don't ya.

More info: Showpass

Lantern Making with Ann K. Chou

FEB. 19 // 5:00 - 8:00 PM
NeighbourSpace // 709 Douglas Street, Victoria

  • Feel free to bring your own materials

  • FREE

  • All-Ages

"Lanterns of Light and Language" unites neighbours through lantern-making, fostering a shared sense of belonging in the community. Lanterns embody the intersection of folklore, stories, and riddles, serving as a backdrop for family and community reunions, as well as the forging of new friendships. While the artist while be providing supplies, participants are encouraged to bring materials from home that they’d like to turn into lanterns.

More info: NeighbourSpace Victoria

  • We acknowledge that this event takes place on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən speaking peoples Songhees Nation and xʷsepsəm (Esquimalt) Nation.

    We ask that you take a moment to consider the history of the land that we gather on, your relations with local Indigenous people, and what each of us can do to foster meaningful reconciliation now and into the future.